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 (Photo by Bill Allen/NJ SportAction) caption:
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With Fries Lifting Game to Higher Level, Hun Girls' Lax Primed for Prep Tourney
By Bill Alden
With her pony tail flying in the air as she darted down the field, Bis Fries attacked the Princeton High girls' lacrosse team from all angles.
The Hun School senior fired over-the-shoulder shots, she leaped for jump shots, she bounced in long-distance lasers, and she lofted long passes over the PHS defense.
When it was all over, Fries had seven goals and an assist and Hun had a 20-4 victory in the May 3 contest.
Fries' dazzling display was the product of the countless hours she has devoted to honing her stick skills.
"I tried to keep a stick in my hands as much as possible last summer," said Fries, referring to her off-season regimen.
"I worked with a couple of college girls and I went to about seven different camps or tournaments. I worked on my stick skills as much as I could. I do a lot of stick work by myself to make sure that everything is comfortable when I go on the field."
Fries' diligence is paying off as she will be headed to Stanford this fall to play for a Cardinal program that is emerging as a national force under dynamic coach Michelle Uhlfelder.
"I like Michelle's pioneer spirit," said Fries, who scored four goals last Friday as Hun topped Blair 18-11 to improve to 10-4 on the season.
"She wants to get all the good talent she can from the east coast and bring it west. It's not an established program. I want to play for a program that is more on the rise. I want to be part of making it go to the top."
In the meantime, Fries is looking to help Hun make it to the top of the state Prep A heap. "I think we are pretty much ready," said Fries who helped lead Hun to the Prep A semifinals last season.
"I think we're ready to go all the way to the state final. I think our team has really come together basically. We've been moving the ball really well."
Hun head coach Lauren Provenzano sees Fries' as one of her team's prime movers. "She's a leader by example," said Provenzano, noting that Fries recently became the first player in program history to score 200 goals in her career. "She is such an intense player and she leads with her skill. The players follow what she can do on the field."
With Hun scheduled to face Kent Place in the Prep A quarterfinals on May 10 with the winner advancing to the semis on May 12, Provenzano is looking for her team to be intense collectively.
"I think we really need to work on our attack, lacrosse at this level is so much about offense," asserted Provenzano.
"I think the momentum is there. The practices have been very productive. The girls don't like how it feels when they walk off the field with a loss. I think they are geared up for states."
Hun will be looking to its senior leadership to push it over the top. "I think that each of our captains possess something that the team needs," said Provenzano referring to Fries, Ashley Wycoff, Ali Damico, and Gwen Birnkrant.
"Ashley is so aggressive and great on defense. Gwen and Ali are aggressive and they are very good with the young players. There is only so much I can do, they have to do it for themselves. I think the captains do a good job starting that. I think they are going to have to take on a more proactive role."
Fries, for her part, is looking to be as proactive as possible in the short run and beyond.
"I feel like I've been getting really good opportunities but I'm not trying to do everything by myself," said Fries.
"I've always wanted to play Division I lacrosse, it was always my first option wherever I went to school. I want to take my game to the highest level."
With her dazzling array of skills, Fries has clearly taken her game to a special level.
